HIV/AIDS: The Virus and the Epidemic

What does the virus that causes AIDS look like? How has it spread worldwide? How did disease detectives uncover its origins? A new instructional guide on BioEd Online helps students learn viral biology, exponential growth and epidemiology. Download or request your copy now, and engage your students in one of the greatest science and health challenges of our age. View the HIV/AIDS guide here.

Another Plant Experiment

What’s better than success? More success!

All four runs for the Plants in Space investigation yielded results. Our investigation archives are loaded with great pictures and videos taken of the plants’ roots, stems, and leaves.

As with any space investigation, Plants in Space has some backup protection. Three additional growth flasks and seed strips were flown to use as backups in case some of the original flasks failed. None failed!

What to do with the backups? Plant them too. A fifth run of the investigation now is underway. Seeds oriented sideways were planted in the backup flasks and the seeds are growing in the dark chamber. Check our site for new plant pictures.

Fourth Experiment Begins

The fourth round of Plants in Space repeats the second experiment, which examines two different densities of gel growth medium. Repeatability is essential to verify the outcomes of scientific research. Similar results among multiple experimental runs indicate that the findings may be meaningful. If the results are different, further investigation is required to determine the cause(s) for inconsistency.

You can compare two trials of the Plants in Space experiment by matching/comparing images from Round 1 and Round 3. Are the results consistent? Why or why not?

There is still time to participate in the experiments. Registration is free and all the information you need is contained in the downloadable guides and videos on this site. Join us today!

Plants in Space: New Planting

JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa set up the second of four Plants in Space experiments on September 29. BioServe Space Technologies developed the investigation, which utilizes special camera-equipped chambers on the International Space Station (ISS). The Plants in Space project, funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, is exploring how light and different densities of growth medium affect plant root growth.

Student investigators in schools around the world already are conducting ground-based experiments and comparing their plants with those on ISS. Their work is contributing to the knowledge of how best to grow plants in microgravity.

There is still time to participate in the experiments. Registration is free and all the information you need is contained in the downloadable guides and videos on this site. Join us today!

Seeds are Sprouting

The Plants in Space investigation on the International Space Station is off to a great start. Roots are clearly visible and stems and leaves are heading toward the light.

Over the next several weeks, more groups of seeds will be started. Student investigators in schools across the country and around the world already are comparing their ground control plants with the experimental plants in microgravity.

“Space plants” will be an important part of NASA’s extended manned missions in the solar system. Plants will provide a food source and help to refresh onboard oxygen and water supplies. Students participating in the Plants in Space study are contributing to the knowledge of how best to grow plants in microgravity.

There is still time to join the investigation. Registration is free and all the information you need is contained in the downloadable guides and videos on this site. What are you waiting for?

Plants in Space

Be part of an exciting investigation taking place in space and on Earth! The Plants in Space investigation will examine plant root growth in microgravity. You and your students can participate by growing ground-based control plants in your classroom, downloading hourly photographs from the International Space Station, and designing your own experiments using the data from space.

The live experiments begin on September 19, 2011. However, all images will be archived on this site, so you can conduct your investigation whenever, and as often as you like. Register and download the free teacher guide on the
Plants in Space resource page.

Microscopy Basics

Do your students come to biology class prepared to use a bright field microscope? Or, do most of them focus on bubbles and specks of dust? This short refresher—including tips for adjusting a light source, focusing “through” a specimen, and using oil immersion microscopy—will help you introduce the light microscope in class, and help your students get the most out of this important tool.

Using A Bright Field Microscope

The Spiders are Home!

The Space Shuttle Atlantis began its final voyage with launch from the NASA Kennedy Space Center on July 8, 2011. Atlantis delivered a year's worth of supplies to the International Space Station. Atlantis will be retired as NASA moves on to new multipurpose launch systems that carry crew beyond Earth's orbit. Space spiders Gladys and Esmeralda will return to Earth with Atlantis.

The cylindrical Raffaello multipurpose logistics module is seen at the rear of the cargo bay. Raffaello was packed with supplies and spare parts for the station, and is bringing back 5,700 pounds of trash and old equipment. Atlantis is expected to land back on Earth on July 21, 2011.

Be sure to check out all the mission activities and media on the Spiders in Space mission page.

Space Spiders Continue to Thrive

The female Nephila clavipes spiders onboard the International Space Station continue to grow, and they have filled their habitats with webs, debris and even discarded exoskeletons. Follow their progress through photos and videos available here on BioEd Online, and compare their activities to those of their sibling, who remained on Earth.

Space Spiders in Action

Gladys and Esmeralda, the two female Nephila clavipes spiders onboard the International Space Station (ISS), are thriving in microgravity. While orbiting Earth, they continue to spin detailed webs, and have more than doubled in size since taking up residence in their habitats on the ISS. New on BioEd Online are video segments of the spiders’ sibling, named Thelma, who remained on Earth. Compare Thelma’s hunting behaviors to those of Gladys and Esmeralda (who got their names from Cady Coleman, the astronaut who installed their habitats on ISS).

Spiders Molt in Space!

Both spidernauts have gone through an important life stage - they molted. Animals with hard exoskeletons molt when they grow, shedding their old exoskeletons and growing larger new ones. That's why it appears Gladys and Esmerelda have company in their habitats. Their discarded exoskeletons make it look like other spiders have arrived for a visit. Molting can be compared to growth in a child. Every few months, the child needs larger shoes.

The newly redesigned media gallery brings together the variety of resources for the Spiders in Space investigation!

Spiders Safely Aboard ISS

The two space spiders were successfully transferred from Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station on Thursday, May 19. Both “spidernauts” are doing fine. The first photos of the spiders in their new home are now available for viewing and research on the Spiders in Space Investigation Page.

Watch astronaut Cady Coleman describe the installation of the spiders' habitats on ISS.

Spidernauts Orbiting Earth!

Following a perfect launch, the Space Shuttle Endeavour reached space Monday morning on its final mission (STS-134). Liftoff took place at 8:56 a.m. EDT.

Endeavour, carrying a crew of six astronauts, two spiders, and a flock of fruit flies (spider food), is maneuvering for a rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday morning around 6:15 a.m. EDT.

After Endeavour docks with the ISS, the spider habitats will be transferred to the Space Station. Images of the spidernauts from their new home in the microgravity of space should be available here on BioEd Online by the week's end.

Japanese Earthquake and Tsunamis: Before and After

Japan is no stranger to giant sea waves. This woodcut, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” by Japanese artist Hokusai, was published between 1830 and 1833. It depicts a giant wave, often thought of as a tsunami or as an okinami, a “high sea wave.” On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan. This quake, the most powerful in Japan’s recorded history, caused the formation of 30-foot walls of water that swept inland from Japan’s northeastern coast. In some cases, the destructive waters reached 10 kilometers inland.

Immediately following this unprecedented disaster, remote sensing satellites captured images of the region, which then were computer-processed. By providing accurate views of the damage, these images will aid in recovery planning. Visit the new hot topic, Japanese Earthquake and Tsunamis: Before and After, to find teaching slides of the remote sensing data.

Mission: Spiders in Space

In April 2011, an orb weaver spider will fly aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour (mission STS-134) for a rendezvous with ISS. Once onboard the Space Station, the spider will star in an exciting experiment to observe its behaviors in microgravity. The spider will live in a special habitat that provides a safe environment, food and water, and allows it to be monitored continuously. Real-time photos and video will be transmitted from ISS back to Earth and made available on this site.

We invite your class to participate in the experiment. Baylor College of Medicine has created a complete curricular module that will allow students and teachers worldwide to conduct their own classroom investigations comparing ground-based spiders with those living in microgravity on ISS. The module is available, free of charge, right here on BioEd Online.

Just click on the “Spiders in Space” logo to the left to register and download the module guide. The guide provides information on the orb weaver spider, housing and care for a spider, and setting up a classroom-based investigation with your own students. Download the guide to start planning your experiment today!
Go to Mission page

Environmental Health: Indoor Air Pollution

Have you ever thought about the chemical or biological containments that might be part of your indoor air? We tend to think pollution stays outside, but that is not always the case. In fact, some research shows that the air inside homes and other buildings is 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside!

If you’re like the average person, you’ll spend about 90% of your life indoors. To learn more about the air you breath while you’re there, and how indoor air pollution can affect your health, take this free online workshop. You can complete the course anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace. With more information, you can breathe a little easier. Available for 6 contact hours professional development.

Check back often for new course additions.
View courses.

Fresh Science For Busy Teachers

Let the world’s leading scientists guide your teaching! BioEd Online and Nature Education are pleased to present a new series of online courses called Bench to Blackboard. The first two courses, Seminal Experiments in Genetics and Key Advances in Genetics, are available now. A certificate for contact hours may be printed upon completion of each Bench to Blackboard course module.

Bench to Blackboard is a new partnership of Scitable by Nature Education and the Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor College of Medicine. Each Bench to Blackboard course module provides the learner with an in-depth, guided exploration of a selected topic, access to key journal articles and opportunities for self assessment. The program combines BioEd Online’s expertise in designing credit-granting online professional development courses for science educators with Nature Education’s library of evidence-based scientific readings in key areas of the life sciences to form a rich, inquiry-based immersion in current science for experienced educators. Check back often for new course additions.

View new series of courses.

Medical Genetics and Genomics

Ongoing discoveries in genetics and genomics are fundamentally changing our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. But as they say, “the more you know, the less you understand.” New findings lead to new and more complex questions. To help students and educators keep up with the most recent developments in genetic and genomic science, BioEd Online is pleased to announce a new course module, entitled Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Two previous modules, Transmission Genetics and The Nature of Genetic Material, explored mechanisms and molecules of inheritance. This third and final module builds upon previous content in an attempt to answer the question, What genetic factors contribute to human health? It introduces emerging technologies; explores the relationships among science, technology, and society; and addresses emerging legal and ethical issues.

The Medical Genetics and Genomics module is fully interactive and self-paced. A certificate for professional development contact hours is available upon completion. Together, the three modules comprise the complete course, Genes, Health and Society.

View Module

New Genetics Course Module
The Nature of Genetic Material

BioEd Online is pleased to announce its latest online course module, entitled “The Nature of Genetic Material”. Have you ever studied, or wondered about, how hereditary material is transmitted from one generation to another? Could you have learned some of the secrets that early genetic researchers discovered, if you were working under the same circumstances? Well, now you have a chance to try!
Follow this amazing, ingenious series of experiments and observations that have brought us to a new level of understanding regarding our hereditary makeup, the transmission of hereditary material through generations, and the changes that occur along the way.

The course module is fully interactive and self–paced. A certificate for professional development contact hours is available upon completion of the module.